


Golden Lies

by Rhain



Series: Truth and Lies [3]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 09:02:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20794088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhain/pseuds/Rhain
Summary: Robin and Brook work together to figure out the history carved into the golden restraints the crew retrieved in All My Fault.  Just another weird North Blue story?  Or something more?





	Golden Lies

She had been working for days at translating all of the fine text on the intricate golden binds. They were easily hundreds of years old, and while the newer carvings were a simple matter of translating from one language to another, some of the older writing was in a language that she didn’t actually know.

With the help of some reference books, Robin determined that most of the text on the arms were names. The names on the left arm were intricate and long. They were generational, and had titles from duke to king. Based on those, she was able to cross-reference her historical data, and determined that the country of origin was Pyrnes in North Blue.

The names on the right were generally singular, and while the font was the same, it was obvious that there was not as great a regard when they’d been carved. There were no family names, and certainly no titles. They also seldom repeated, unlike the names on the left.

If she had to make an educated guess, the manacles were meant for highly valued slaves. Possibly consorts. As the consorts died or were replaced, their names were updated on the manacles. Only the most recent name—Troubadour—appeared twice. Each time under a different master.

The legs were a little different. With the arms, Robin had to figure out the stories based on conjecture or speculation, but with the legs the stories were written out in dark and ultimately beautiful prose. Poems. Or possibly…

A sudden laughter broke her focus. “These are songs, aren’t they? I’ve never heard most of these before!” Brook was leaning over her shoulder. His skeletal fingers traced the carvings. Not just the words, but the music that was carved around them. After a few beats he began to sing along to the poetry in what looked to be the newest of carvings.

It was hauntingly beautiful, and everyone else on the deck of the Sunny—Usopp, Nami, and Luffy—looked over at him as he shared the tale of a beautiful woman who was kind and regal, and the two men she loved.

“Brook, do you know the meaning of the words you’re singing?” Robin asked, setting her books aside to listen to the skeleton. A bard’s song could be a wonderful resource when looking into the history of a person or a place.

Brook had run out of lyrics, but was still strumming his guitar to the tune. “Ahhhhyes. It is a song about duty and love. The beautiful lady denies her first instincts and is charmed by the graciousness of the handsome prince from the foreign land. She ends up marrying him to bring peace and happiness to her people.”

“Wealth.”

Sanji set a small tray of drinks down next to Robin. He’d started looking a little better, and was once more able to look his friends in their eyes. Usopp had even convinced him to spend less time staring out at the ocean at all hours of the day and night. She nodded her genuine thanks for the afternoon drinks.

“Wealth?” Brook asked, confused as to what Sanji had meant.

Sanji didn’t pause before replying. “Her people were being slaughtered, so Yanesse married the asshole king to bring them peace and wealth.” Sanji took a brief drag on his cigarette. “She was under no impression that it would make anyone happy. She just wanted to stop them from dying in a pointless war. And with the money he brought with him, her people could afford to rebuild their lives.”

Robin looked down at the carvings. It distinctly said happiness, not wealth. Sanji seemed certain, but the text disputed his facts. Was this another North Blue fairy-tale with disjointed facts? Like Liar Noland? And if so, which version was the original? “What happened after that, Cook-san?”

He seemed surprised by the genuine interest behind her question, but with the way everyone was looking at him to continue the story he also looked obliged to answer. “She realised her mistake and faked her own death. Then she ran away with the troubadour to start an actual happy life.”

“There’s nothing about that in the carvings…” Brook was surprised by Sanji’s story, and was apparently having a hard time believing it.

“I know what the song says,” Sanji snapped. “But it’s not like he carved the words in there himself, now is it.”

“Who, Sanji-kun?” Nami asked, sliding into a seat next to Robin.

Sanji took a moment to collect his irritation before turning to look at the ladies. “The troubadour.”

“Troubadour is one of the names I found…”

Sanji’s smile became more strained. It was forced, and fake as he corrected her. “Troubadour wasn’t his name, it was his title. Kannis took away his name to shame him, just like he took away everything else.”

All of them were waiting for Sanji to continue. Brook was quiet. Luffy wasn’t even asking for a share of the drinks he’d brought out for the ladies.

Robin wasn’t sure he was going to oblige, but finally he sighed and sat at their table. “The next verse of the song talks about how Yanesse was miserable with her choice. The final makes a brief mention of her escape. A few years later, when Kannis heard the full song, he realised what had happened. He had the troubadour hunted. Then he put him on display in the middle of Toulouse, and carved the first half of the song into his binds so that his family would never forget it was his own idiot fault. Yanesse was taken back to the castle, and no one ever saw her again.”

“If the king hated him that much, why didn’t he just execute him?” Usopp’s voice was full of sadness and something Robin couldn’t place. She felt like the sniper knew something the rest of them didn’t.

“One of his favourite men was also in love with him. He gave the troubadour to him… as a gift. Plus, it kept Yanesse in line.” Sanji shrugged one shoulder. “He had to keep him alive until he found a better threat to hold over her head.”

“What happened to them?” Robin found herself asking.

Sanji licked his lips. “She… I don’t know what happened to her. Not for sure. He stayed strong and lived as long as he could under the conditions he was in. Eventually, he was killed while…” Sanji bit back the words he meant to say, and instead said, “Fighting back.”

The tension in the air was palpable. When Sanji stopped talking, everyone was quiet for a long beat. Either North Blue fairy-tales were awful and had terrible propaganda filled lessons for children, or Sanji was recanting something a little closer to home. Usopp had long since looked away uncomfortably, and Nami was studying the wood grain on the table.

“What was his real name?”

Of course it was Luffy who would break the silence. They all looked up at the captain. Luffy had his hat pulled back from his face, and was looking at Sanji with innocent eyes. “The king guy took his name away to shame him, right? So, if we remember him by his real name then it would be like undoing the shame.”

Robin watched as a crooked smile caught the corner of Sanji’s lips, and tears welled up in his eyes. They didn’t spill, but they were certainly there. “Sanji,” he whispered. “His name was Sanji.”

“Sanji-kun…?”

“Yes, Nami-san?”

“Did… Didn’t you once tell me you were named after your father?”

Sanji didn’t say anything for a long moment, and then finally pushed up from the table. “That sounds like something I might have said,” he acknowledged. Then he was apparently done talking about it. He gathered up the dishes on the table without anyone saying anything, and walked back inside.

“Robin…” Nami looked up at her, he brown eyes wide and dancing with emotion. “I don’t want to make any money selling thes… this gold.”

“Mmm. And I don’t want to know the twisted words to these fake songs.” Brook’s tone was soft and serious. He wasn’t even holding an instrument anymore, as though Sanji’s story had sullied his standard desire to make music happen.

Robin hated to admit it, but she suddenly had no desire to catalogue the history. Especially if it had been tainted and was filled with lies and half-truths meant to punish or insult the people who had originally written them.

It was Luffy who scooped up the bindings in the sheet Robin had them laid out on. He carried them to the side of the ship and looked up at the sky. “Oi!” he yelled at a cloud. “Sanji’s dad, Sanji!”

“Luffy!” Usopp exclaimed, but did nothing to quiet their captain or to stop his actions.

“All of the people that hurt you are dead now, and your son has some really great Nakama looking out for him, so you can rest and be free now!” He proceeded to throw the entire valuable bundle into the ocean before walking away. That was that, as far as their captain was concerned.

“Sanji!” he yelled in the same tone he’d just used. “What’s for dinner?”

Luffy’s phrasing echoed in Robin’s mind. _Were_ all of the people who had hurt him dead? Just like that, Sanji’s desperate lookout of the proceeding days made absolute sense.

After all, his story never explained what became of the king.


End file.
